Practising family medicine for adults with intellectual disabilities: patient perspectives on helpful interactions

To explore the perspectives of adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) on helpful interactions with their family physicians.

Exploratory, qualitative study.

Vancouver, BC.

Purposive sample of 11 community-dwelling adults with IDs.

In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted face to face with participants. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Research team members read the transcripts, which were then coded into categories and subcategories and discussed at collective analysis meetings. The main study themes were generated through this iterative, collective process.

Two themes about helpful interactions were identified: helping patients understand and helping patients navigate the health care system. The first theme reflected helpful ways of communicating with patients with IDs. These approaches focused on plain-language communication and other strategies developed jointly by the patients and their physicians. The second theme reflected ways in which the family physicians helped adults with IDs manage their health needs despite the complex constraints of their socioeconomic situations.

Adults with IDs want to play an active role in managing their health as they age, and helpful interactions with family physicians make this possible.